Convince Me
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: Has Calleigh finally seen the truth? T for now. Possibly M later
1. Chapter 1

Convince Me

_It's over…It's over before it ever really began…_ The words echoed hollowly in Calleigh's mind as she watched Eric walk away from CSI, from her…from them. She felt the stillness settle deep into her heart, and knew the warning signs of a cataclysmic breakdown. It was the calm before the storm of tears and pain. Bravely she held back the impending tide as she walked toward the door of the locker room, struggling with each step to keep back the tears. She had only taken three hurried steps when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Calleigh."

Not just any voice…THAT voice, smooth as velvet, dark as the night, and comforting as her own father's arms.

She turned and looked straight into the deep blue of Horatio's eyes.

"Yes, Horatio?" Her voice trembled, and she knew he heard it, but she was beyond caring at that point. She only wanted to go home, curl up on the couch and cry her heart out.

"Calleigh, I don't even have to ask if you are okay. You are NOT."

_No sense in lying to Horatio, he knows you too well, _she thought to herself.

"No, I'm not okay, Horatio."

"Come here to me," he said softly as he opened wide his arms to her.

It never even occurred to Calleigh to say no. She simply walked into the shelter of his arms and nestled against him. The floodgates opened and she sobbed uncontrollably against his chest.

"I know, Calleigh, I know. I'll miss him too. But we will get through this together."

He held her close and let her cry, rocking her gently as shudders wracked her petite frame. Her cries tugged at his heart and he brushed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"It's okay, Sweetheart. I've got you. Just cry it out, Calleigh," he whispered. His hands stroked over her back and shoulders in a comforting manner.

His gentle touch and loving whispers soaked into her battered emotions and began to soothe her wounded heart.

"He left us, Horatio," she sobbed. "He left us and didn't even look back."

"Sometimes…sometimes, Calleigh we have to let go of the ones we love the most. I know it hurts. Eric was like a son to me. And I know he was special to you. But we have to let him make his choice. And if he has chosen to leave us, we have to respect that choice and let him go."

"That doesn't make it any easier." Calleigh's tears were slowing, but still flowed freely down her face.

Horatio gently cupped the side of her face and tilted her head up so he could look down into her tear stained face. He wiped away the tears and smiled slightly at her.

"No, it doesn't make it any easier. But you know I will always be here for you, Calleigh. Always."

Calleigh closed her eyes and let his words wash over her. _How many times has he been here for me? More times than I can remember or count. He's always been there waiting in the wings, ready to step up and be there when I've needed someone the most. And now here he is again, picking up the pieces of my broken heart. Have I missed it all along? Has he been such a good friend and mentor that I've overlooked the possibility that he could be more?_

Her thoughts had barely slipped through her mind when she felt a soft kiss brush over her forehead. She caught her breath at the light caress, and opened her eyes to find Horatio looking at her with such an expression of tenderness that it sent a fresh storm of tears flooding from her eyes. Her head dipped against his chest and she cried brokenly all over again.

"Oh, Horatio," she stammered out through her tears, "what would I do without you?"

"That," he said with firmness in his tone, "is something you will never find out, Sweetheart."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Calleigh grew accustomed to the dull aching feeling of missing something. At times she would look up, thinking she heard Eric's voice, only to find that there was no one else in the room with her. Other times she would look toward the door with an expectant look on her face as though she hoped to see him to walk in, put on his lab coat, and begin work for the day. Her smile was a mere shadow of its usual brilliance, and her voice was quiet and dull. Not even her gun lab prompted more than a tiny spark of pleasure in her eyes. She would have been lost without Horatio's constant gentle presence. Often he appeared just when Calleigh thought she could take no more, and she would find herself in his arms, crying out her pain and loss.

She was cleaning up the last of the day's work when Horatio appeared in her door. She was aware of his presence even before he spoke.

"Calleigh, I thought…I thought you might like to get a bite to eat this evening." His voice was low and soft…soothing.

"I'm not really hungry, Horatio, but thank you anyway." She smiled briefly and turned back to her desk to finish straightening the files she had out.

"You need to eat, Calleigh," he countered smoothly as he made his way over to stand beside her desk.

For a moment, she closed her eyes, not wanting to hear the truth of his words, but then she nodded.

"Okay." She looked up at him and forced herself not to lower her gaze from his intense study of her. "Any place in particular you had in mind?"

"I'd like to cook dinner for you," he said quietly. "Would that be okay?"

The prospect of spending time with Horatio away from the setting of the lab somehow calmed her clamoring emotions, and she felt herself relaxing at the mere thought.

"I think I'd like that, Horatio."

"Good. Finish up here and I'll meet you at the Hummer in 15 minutes."

Ten minutes later in the parking garage, Calleigh silently accepted Horatio's help up into the Hummer. She buckled her seatbelt and leaned back against the seat, her head sinking against the supple leather. As soon as her head touched the headrest, Calleigh felt herself begin to relax. She fought valiantly to keep her eyes open, only to lose the battle to tiredness. By the time Horatio settled himself into the driver's seat and started the engine, Calleigh was in a light doze, her breathing soft and deep, her golden lashes flush against her cheek.

For a moment Horatio simply studied her, his eyes drinking in every detail of the sleeping female in the passenger seat. "You are so beautiful, Calleigh," he whispered softly so as not to waken her. "I…I love you."

He was startled when a quiet mumble came from Calleigh's lips. "…love you too…" The rest of her sentence was unintelligible and he wasn't really sure if he'd heard her right or not. Sighing, he sent the Hummer purring quietly into traffic and headed toward home.

Some twenty minutes later they arrived, and Horatio let himself out of the Hummer and walked around to Calleigh's side. She was sound asleep and never stirred when he opened the passenger door. Placing one hand gently on her shoulder, he quietly called her name.

"Calleigh, Sweetheart, we're here."

From somewhere deep in her sleep, Calleigh heard Horatio's voice call to her and she responded with a soft moan but didn't quite reach full consciousness. Another gentle shake of his hand, and her eyes fluttered open. This time she found herself looking up into his face.

"Horatio…I…where are we? I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry."

"No worries. You needed the rest, or you wouldn't have dropped off so easily." While he spoke, he reached across her and carefully unbuckled her seatbelt, fighting the sudden urge to turn his head and kiss her. Stepping back he reached his hand toward her and helped her out of the Hummer.

For a second she was unsteady on her feet, and Horatio reached out to catch her. His hands gripped her waist lightly and almost instinctively Calleigh's hands went to his chest. Something flared between them and Calleigh felt her breath lodge in her throat.

"Horatio?" Her quiet question was cut off as he leaned in and covered her lips in a warm, soft kiss.

Almost instinctively her body swayed toward him, a quiet sigh of contentment slipping from her throat as Horatio's mouth moved gently over hers. Calleigh's eyes drifted shut, and her lips clung to his, moving in response to his soft caress.

When Horatio broke the kiss, Calleigh murmured softly in protest and rested her head against his hard warm chest. Her arms went around his waist and she pressed herself closer to him. Horatio's arms closed around her and cuddled her closer, his chin resting on top of her head. For a moment he simply held her, then he brushed a kiss across her golden hair and said, "I don't know about you, Sweetheart, but I'm getting hungry. Let's get you inside so I can fix us something to eat. Does Italian sound okay to you?" As he spoke he pulled back to look down in to Calleigh's eyes.

"Anything sounds fine, Handsome." She paused for a moment and then bit her lip before asking softly, "Horatio why are you taking such good care of me?"

"Because I…" he only barely caught himself before he finished that sentence. "…because you aren't taking care of yourself, Sweetheart. Someone has to."

"Don't you say the sweetest things?" Calleigh said with just a trace of her usual sassiness.

Horatio heard it and felt immense relief wash through him at the sound of her voice in that light tone.

"That's my bulletgirl." He smiled down at her. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

He loosened his arms from around her and reached down to take her hand in his. Calleigh looked down at their joined hands, and then smiled shyly up at him. And hand in hand they walked together into the house.


	3. Chapter 3

**Convince 3**

With a contented sigh, Calleigh laid her fork down across her plate and leaned back in her chair. "That was heavenly, Horatio. Where did you learn to make lasagna like that?"

He smiled somewhat ruefully. "I just decided that if I didn't want to live off fast food and frozen dinners the rest of my life, I'd better learn to cook. Eating out is fine, but I really enjoy cooking…especially if I'm cooking for someone else." He rose to begin clearing away the dishes and Calleigh joined him.

"There aren't really enough dishes to put in the dishwasher. How about I give you a hand and wash them while you dry them?" The thought of washing dishes wasn't appealing; it was the thought of prolonging the evening with Horatio that stirred her to make the request.

He graced her with one of his rare, full smiles, and Calleigh felt a million butterflies take flight inside her stomach.

"That sounds like a plan to me, Sweetheart."

Calleigh ran water in the sink and poured dish liquid into the hot water, then she carefully placed the dirty dishes in the hot soapy liquid. Horatio stood beside her, a dishtowel hanging loosely around his neck as he waited for her to hand him the clean dishes to dry.

She had washed both their plates and was working on the glass baking dish when the sight of all the bubbles prompted a mischievous idea in her head. Slyly watching out of the corner of her eye to make sure Horatio didn't see what she was planning, she scooped up a handful of the sparkling bubbles. With an impish gleam in her eyes, she reached out and smeared the bubbles all along the side of Horatio's face.

He spluttered and gasped and spun to look at her while she giggled at the sight of him

"Horatio, you look absolutely ridiculous, like half a Santa Claus." Her happy peals of laughter turned his surprised look into one of pleasure.

"Oh, you will pay for that, Sweetheart," he growled with mock severity as he pulled the towel from around his own neck and quickly looped it over Calleigh's head and behind her neck. He pulled her close and held both ends of the towel with one hand and with the other he grabbed a handful of the rapidly dissolving bubbles.

Calleigh squealed and tried halfheartedly to pull out of his gentle hold. "Horatio, no!" she gasped, breathless with laughter.

"Yes, my impish bulletgirl. You have been very naughty and will pay." Laughing with her, he rubbed his handful of bubbles across her mouth and down along the side of her neck, stopping when he came to the collar of her blouse.

"There," he chuckled merrily. "Now you look like Mrs. Claus."

"Calleigh giggled and spluttered through the bubbles. "Aren't we a pair?"

"Quite a mess, I should say." Horatio grinned at her and Calleigh felt her heart start to race, from more than just the exertion of laughter.

He reached up and with gentle fingers began to wipe away the suds from Calleigh's lips. His touch prompted a response that was far from amusing.

Calleigh felt immediate and deep arousal flare through her as his fingers traced the outline of her mouth. Her tiny moan of desire did not escape his notice.

"Calleigh?" he whispered softly, letting his hand come to rest cupping her face, his thumb stroking across her cheek.

The look in his eyes and the heat of his touch scorched through her. Calleigh moaned and swayed toward him.

Horatio resisted for one split second then gathered her into his arms and bent his head and covered her mouth with his in a heated kiss, mindless of the thin layer of bubbles that still clung to both their faces.

Calleigh melted against him, her lips parting under his to welcome the sweet invasion of his tongue. Horatio stroked in deeply, tasting, devouring, and taking in as much of Calleigh's intoxicating taste as he could. Only when his lungs cried out for air did he break the kiss, and then only for the span of time it took him to drag in a shuddering breath. His lips were on hers again in an instant, and Calleigh felt herself go weak at the knees…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Ending I**

**This ending of "Convince Me" is a strong PG-13 rating. Read at your own discretion.**

…Calleigh moaned in protest when Horatio's mouth left hers, only to sigh in pleasure as his lips began a seductive glide along her neck, dropping heated kisses along her throat down to the collar of her shirt.

"Calleigh, you feel like heaven in my arms," he murmured against her skin. Each brush of his lips sent shivers of pleasure dancing along her nerves. "I've waited so long for this."

As he spoke, his hands settled softly against her ribs and stroked upwards. Calleigh's heart threatened to beat its way out of her ribcage when his hands gently cupped her and stroked lightly. Pure molten desire seared through her veins and she trembled at the force of her response. Her body arched against him, finding a perfect fit of soft pliant curves against hard masculine strength.

The urgent press of her body against his sent white-hot need surging through his blood, and Horatio groaned and pulled back to look down at her upturned face. His gaze skimmed over her face, eagerly taking in her desire-drugged look, her soft lips, parted and begging for his kisses, the dazed expression in her green eyes.

"Calleigh…Calleigh, we either stop now, or I won't be able to stop at all." His voice was strained, trembling with his effort at control.

"Horatio…please, love me…"

She got no farther with her plea. Horatio's mouth descended on hers again in a ravenous kiss, sweeping away any hesitance Calleigh may have had at being in the arms of her mentor and teacher.

When he scooped her up into his arms and started toward the bedroom Calleigh clung to him, her arms looped around his neck, her eager lips laying out a trail of soft kisses against the strong column of his throat. One small hand sought out and began to undo the buttons of his shirt, so that by the time he reached the bedroom and nudged the door open with his foot, she had partially done away with the irritating barrier of cloth and was luxuriating in the feeling of his bare hot skin.

Horatio gently set Calleigh on her feet beside the gorgeous king sized bed and then pulled her to him for a quick, intense kiss. "Sweetheart you are so beautiful," he murmured as he began to slowly and seductively unbutton her shirt. With each button that he conquered, he dropped a kiss on her upturned face, and Calleigh shivered with need at each light caress.

"Horatio…" she breathed, unable to fight through her growing arousal to voice anything more than his name.

Then Horatio's hands went to the waistband of her jeans, and Calleigh whimpered with pleasure.

Slowly, lovingly he removed the rest of her clothing and then once more wrapping strong arms around her, he picked her up and laid her down on the soft, blue sheets of his bed. Locking his gaze with hers, he whispered, "Calleigh, I'm going to make love to you." Quickly he shed his own clothing, his eyes never leaving hers, and then he lowered himself to lay above her, his weight supported on his elbows.

Calleigh's body responded in total surrender, arching toward him desperately.

"Calleigh…Calleigh," he whispered "I love you."

* * *

Much later that night, lying wrapped in Horatio's arms, Calleigh sighed contentedly and cuddled closer to his chest. Her fingers traced abstract patterns across his chest and down along his belly and then brazenly along his thigh and back up.

"Calleigh," he issued a soft warning. "You keep doing that and neither of us will get any sleep at all tonight." The gentle reprimand of his words was softened by the sweet kiss he placed on her forehead. Her quiet giggle was his only warning before her small hand strayed between his legs. With a growl of arousal, Horatio flipped Calleigh over onto her back and stared down at her.

"Calleigh, I warned you," he said as he bent his head and kissed her senseless.

When they finally came up for air, Calleigh smiled up at Horatio. She raised a trembling hand to his face and traced the strong line of his jaw to his mouth.

"Horatio Caine…I've realized something," she said softly, as she drew her finger over his lips.

"Hmm." He kissed her finger and then asked, "and what might that be, Ma'am?"

"I love you, Horatio. I think I always have….I just needed convincing."

"Oh, you did? Hmmm. You don't look totally convinced to me. Maybe I need to convince you some more."

She gasped as his lips closed over hers and then there were no more words.


	5. Chapter 5

**Convince Me Chapter 4 II**

**(Rated R version)**

**I debated for quite some time about this ending to "Convince Me", and finally decided to go ahead and post it. Since it is much more graphic than the first Chapter 4 that was posted, I would caution you to use good discretion. If you are not of age to read this type of material, then you should simply stick with the PG-13 version. **

**And please…be gentle in your reviews of this chapter. This is my first attempt at writing such an intimate scene.**

**H**

…Calleigh moaned in protest when Horatio's mouth left hers, only to whimper softly in pleasure as his mouth slowly traveled along her neck, leaving heated kisses against her sensitive skin. His lips brushed silken caresses along her throat, and gently sucked at the racing pulse he found there. Each brush of his lips sent shivers of pleasure dancing along her nerves.

"So soft, so warm," he murmured as he edged aside her collar and let his lips travel downward until he encountered the first button of her shirt.

"Horatio," Calleigh gasped "This can't…we aren't…"

Her words turned into a moan of pleasure as Horatio's hands settled softly against her breasts and stroked lightly.

"Talk to me, Sweetheart." His voice was warm and seductive, and it stroked over Calleigh's senses like a lover's touch.

"Oh, god, Horatio, this isn't supposed to feel like this…"

"But it does, Calleigh," Horatio whispered as he unbuttoned her shirt with a master's skill, opening it to slide his hands inside. They rested against her ribs and then glided around her back to unsnap the black lace bra she was wearing. He quickly eased her shirt from her shoulders and then slid the straps of her bra away, leaving her bared to his desire darkened eyes.

"You are so very beautiful, Calleigh. And you will be mine," He said just before he bent his head to kiss the gentle swells of her breasts. His tongue traced soft patterns over her skin, sending desire scorching through her veins. Then he took one taut nipple into his mouth and Calleigh almost lost her breath at the sensation of his tongue swirling over and around her.

"Horatio…I…please…" Again her words were lost in a sensual haze when his hands settled at her waist and began to unbutton and unzip her jeans. Calleigh felt a searing liquid warmth race through the lower half of her body at Horatio's gentle exploration. She whimpered with need as his hand slid below the lace edge of her panties and gently stroked downward toward the very center of her desire. When his fingers touched her, she arched her body against him, silently begging him to continue his caress. Slowly he stroked into her and watched as desire, need, and a look of surrender crossed her beautiful face by turns.

"Calleigh do you want me to stop?" he asked quietly, stilling his sweet torture for a moment.

"Please don't stop, Horatio…please," Calleigh gasped, rocking her hips against his momentarily still fingers. "Please, Horatio…" she was begging by now, reduced to shameless desire by his masterful caresses.

Horatio gently withdrew his fingers from Calleigh's unresisting body, swung her up into the cradle of his strong arms and carried her to his bedroom. Nudging open the door with his knee, he crossed the space to stand beside the bed, where he carefully set her on her feet. He looked deep into her eyes and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips parted willingly beneath his and she welcomed the sweet invasion of his tongue. Deeply he kissed her, the stroking of his tongue a blatant imitation of a more intimate coupling.

Calleigh could to little more than cling to his shirt and tremble as his hands and mouth and voice destroyed all her preconceived ideas of a skilled lover.

"Calleigh, I'm going to make love to you," he said quietly as he picked her back up and then carefully laid her down on the bed beneath the already turned down covers. Swiftly he removed his own clothing and lowered himself on the bed beside her. For a moment he simply let his eyes travel lovingly along the length of her body, then he raised himself above her and began to kiss her neck.

His lips brushed light, maddeningly soft caresses over her skin, and Calleigh writhed in sheer wanton pleasure. Her words had long since dissolved into incoherent moans and gasps as Horatio drove her insane with desire. When he kissed his way along her stomach then lower, Calleigh thought surely she would pass out with the intensity of the sensations that were racing through her body in wave after wave.

Horatio kissed his way along Calleigh's thigh and then settled between her legs. Calleigh almost stopped breathing as his warm breath danced over her and she tossed her head back and forth on the pillow, knowing what was to come. The first flick of his tongue ripped a choked cry of pleasure from her throat and arched her body almost completely off the bed. Horatio laid one arm across her waist and gently pinned her to the bed while he continued to pleasure her with his tongue. When he was sure she was beyond rational thinking he slowly inserted first one finger and then a second, thrusting deeply.

"Oh my…ahh..Hora…" Calleigh could barely form words.

Smiling to himself at her inability to voice human sounds, Horatio stroked his fingers in deeper and pressed slightly harder with his tongue.

Calleigh's body bucked beneath his touch and she screamed out his name as a massive climax ripped into her. She convulsed with pleasure, her back arching and her head straining backwards toward the headboard.

Horatio let his touch become gentle and calming as he soothed her down from the overwhelming sensations that had taken possession of her body. When she finally stopped trembling and shaking, he slowly moved back up her body, dropping tiny kisses along the way. He tenderly smiled down into her dazed green eyes as they fluttered open.

"Oh, Horatio, I have never felt anything like that before. You were incredible."

He chuckled lightly and smoothed back a lock of damp blonde hair from her forehead.

"And we've only just begun, my love." He purred.

Calleigh's eyes widened and then she gulped in a breath when he carefully positioned himself above her.

"Calleigh, I love you," he whispered as he slowly and tenderly stroked into the heated softness of her body.

"Horatio…" she whispered.

"Just relax and let me love you, Sweetheart."

He began a steady thrusting, his hips setting a rhythm that Calleigh found easy to match. As he deepened his stroked with his growing pleasure, he groaned softly, "Calleigh, Calleigh you feel like heaven. I've dreamed of this for so long." He continued to drive into her, deeply and smoothly, each stroke pushing him closer to the edge of sanity. When he felt his control fraying, he slipped one hand between their joined bodies and began to caress Calleigh.

"Come with me, Calleigh. Let go and fall with me."

His words, his touch, the hard length of him buried deep within her body made it impossible not to respond, and she felt a second heart-stopping wave a pleasure crash through her body.

"Calleigh," Horatio ground out her name in almost a prayer as he felt her tighten and clench around him. Then he shuddered and let go as his own release roared through him, temporarily sapping him of his strength.

When reality finally returned, Horatio rallied first and raised himself up on one elbow to look down at the exhausted blonde lying beneath him. Her hair was tossed and damp from sweat; her face was still flushed with the after affects of their lovemaking; her lips were parted and swollen from where she had bitten them in her vain effort to keep from screaming out her pleasure as she orgasmed. He had never seen a more lovely sight.

Calleigh raised a trembling hand to his face and traced the strong line of his jaw to his lips.

"Horatio Caine…I've realized something," she said softly as she drew her finger over his lips.

"Hmmm." He kissed her finger and then asked, "And what might that be, Ma'am?"

"I love you, Horatio. I think I always have…I just needed convincing."

"Oh, you did? Hmm. You don't look totally convinced to me. Maybe I need to convince you some more."

She gasped as his lips closed over hers and then there were no more words.


End file.
